Chapter 20: Greece (5): Decision and shame.
First of all, apologies for the delay. This story has discouraged me a bit for some reasons, but I've had some inspirations to write, and here we are! I'll go back to posting regularly like Devas' story... I hope.
Well, here's the chapter, the next one will be out much earlier than these last ones, that I can promise at least.
As always, if anyone wants to read 3/7 chapters ahead of my two stories, that's possible on my (P)(A)(T). If not, still, I appreciate you reading my stories!
That said, good night and happy reading!
(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori
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POV: Chiron.
To say that I was surprised by the audacity of the "hero" who ran from the shore to the spot where Lord Hunter and Lady Doll were resting would be a lie.
I knew the audacity, or rather, the foolishness of "heroes" better than anyone. Especially those who hadn't experienced reality yet and discovered that it tended to be cruel...
"USING DAMSELS AS HOSTAGES, YOU ABOMINABLE CREATURE! MAKING THEM CRY ON TOP OF THAT! YOU WRETCHED BEING!"
... The gods... Why do they all have to be like this?
I swear, if half... no, I can't hope for such an inconceivable miracle...
If only five percent of the men in Greece thought with the head on top, instead of the one below, I would be a much happier person.
Funny... If I earned a coin for every man who did something foolish or put himself in a dangerous situation just because he couldn't think straight in front of a woman, I'd probably be the richest man of all...
Well, the second place, at least... I wouldn't dare compete with the "Lord of Wealth" for such a title.
"COME AND FACE ME, MEDUSA! I WILL CUT OFF YOUR HEAD AND SAVE THE DAMSELS FROM YOUR TORMENT!" It was sad how he didn't even notice me, despite being just a few meters from where his boat was anchored...
I shook my head and closed my eyes in a quick prayer for the fool's soul to reach the underworld safely; maybe there he can learn something...
To my surprise, the foolish "hero" wasn't torn to pieces by Lord Hunter and his whip-cane. Something much funnier happened.
"I am Medusa, you foolish man, not him!" Medusa shouted in frustration, leaving Lady Doll's arms and throwing a nearby stone at the man.
Watching the man struggle to defend himself with the shield, even with Medusa weakened by whatever Lord Hunter did, made me sigh...
The way he held the shield was wrong, too straight for his limp wrist, the leather straps that secured the shield to his arm were too tight in some places, while too loose in others.
I won't even comment on the man's footwork to spare my body from feeling disgust...
The worst part of all this?... The man had fainted, even while blocking the stone. The way he held the shield and the poor preparation in his equipment caused the top of the shield to hit his forehead, throwing the man to the ground, unconscious...
I must have looked at the scene for a good five seconds before turning away, averting my gaze, and returning to my fishing.
As much as I knew it was impossible, I was afraid that if I looked at the man for too long, his foolishness would infect me... Better not to risk it...
~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~
POV: Doll
"Is he dead?" Medusa's voice was, in parts, incredulous and confused.
It seemed that even with the Good Hunter sealing her powers, Medusa still had enough strength to knock out a man, even if her senses weren't sharp enough to determine if he was dead or not.
"He's alive, don't worry." I reassured her. "Your blow just made him faint." Even though that wasn't the intention, but rather to vent some anger.
Medusa sighed, somewhat relieved, if I may say so. It seemed that even after killing so many men, protecting both herself and her sisters, she still didn't like killing. That was good.
"What do you want to do with him?" The Good Hunter's voice echoed, calm but with a touch of amusement. "Will you spare him? Or put an end to his life?"
It seemed that the man confusing him with the "Monster Medusa" amused the Good Hunter for a reason unknown to me.
"I... I don't know..." Medusa's response was almost a whisper.
"Why not?" The Good Hunter asked, without losing his pace. "He came here to kill you; you have no reason to spare him, just like you had no reason, and spared none before him." His voice had become neutral, back to its emotionless state.
I guess I'll never get used to this...
"No... You're wrong!" Medusa turned, fear in her eyes, but still stared at the Good Hunter without looking away.
"He came to kill the 'Monster Medusa'... Not me..." Her voice weakened, turning into a whisper at the end of the sentence. "Not me... I am not a monster..." She seemed fragile, as fragile as when I hugged her before.
I almost hugged her again, but I restrained myself. The Good Hunter was trying to convey something to her, and I wouldn't interfere.
The Good Hunter said nothing, just stared back at her; Medusa held his gaze for moments before turning her face away.
After a few moments, the Good Hunter spoke again.
"You're not a monster, that's true... But that doesn't change the fact that he." The Good Hunter pointed to the unconscious man. "If he had arrived hours ago, would have tried to kill you. What would you have done at that moment?"
It was a question we all knew the answer to, after all, when we arrived, the island was filled with statues of those who came before us.
Supposed "heroes" like the one unconscious a few meters ahead.
"I was just protecting myself and my sisters..." Medusa replied weakly.
"Killing to protect yourself doesn't make you a monster, but it still has consequences." The Good Hunter kept his voice in the same tone. "Every action has consequences; it's up to the one who takes them to deal with what comes after, whether it's something good or bad."
Medusa was just protecting herself and her sisters, but with each death, she lost a bit more of herself, until the day she would succumb to the curse within her, doing something she wouldn't forgive herself for...
"Your actions are yours, the consequences too; it's up to you to choose and deal with what comes after." Whether it's good or bad, it didn't need to be said.
Medusa hesitated, remaining silent for seconds before lifting her face, with a more focused, determined look.
"You said you would help me, didn't you?" She asked, looking at the Good Hunter. "Help me deal with the madness, not succumb to it?"
A nod in agreement was the Good Hunter's response.
With the answer, without hesitation, Medusa turned, walking to the unconscious man. Neither I nor the Good Hunter moved, watching her actions from a distance.
I wasn't surprised when she reached the man's side and, instead of stabbing him in the heart, dragged him to the boat he had arrived on the island and threw him back in, pushing the boat back into the sea.
"Is this your final choice?" The Good Hunter asked when Medusa returned. "Why?"
"I'm not naive or innocent enough to believe I won't need to kill again." Medusa explained. "But let it be my choice. As you said, actions have consequences, I'll deal with whatever they may be." She seemed relieved by this fact.
"Maybe he'll come back, and surely more will come." The Good Hunter looked at the boat floating on the waves. "Mercy is something only those who win can choose." He stated.
Only the winner could choose to be merciful, and even then, the consequences if he wasn't the winner, if his opponent came back, could be disastrous.
"I'll deal with the consequences of my actions when they come; I'll kill when necessary, spare when I can, but let it be known that I'm not a monster, a beast." She seemed to be affirming more to herself than to anyone else.
The Good Hunter fell silent before nodding.
"Beautiful words, I hope you can keep them." He waved, indicating for Medusa to sit. "Sit, enjoy the day; your training begins tomorrow."
Medusa sat next to me again, this time without hesitation and more calmly.
"Was that some kind of test?" She asked.
"No. It was just a question, and you gave me your answer." Medusa chose to spare him... Or something close to that.
"He's unconscious; he won't die in the sea?" I asked, tilting my head. Wasn't the coast a few kilometers away?
Medusa widened her eyes, as if realizing this fact now.
"You chose to spare him, didn't you?" The Good Hunter asked. Medusa nodded quickly, embarrassed. "Then, I'll make sure he reaches the coast; don't worry." The slight amusement in the Good Hunter's voice was something perhaps only I could detect.
Chiron chose this moment to stop his fishing and walk over to us.
"I see you sacrificed the fool; good choice."
The redness on Medusa's face could rival the ripest tomato.
~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~
POV: Medusa
Oh, the shame!
How could I make such a foolish mistake, especially after that speech!
In front of everyone, no less! A hole, I need a hole to crawl into and stay there until I die...
Stheno and Euryale can't know about this... They won't let me forget it, they'll tease me forever!
"Don't worry, things like that happen sometimes," Miss Doll spoke with a gentle voice, trying to console me.
"I can vouch for that. I've had students who, if their heads weren't attached to their bodies, would forget them somewhere," Chiron added before continuing.
"Oh, yes, apologies for the late introduction. I am Chiron." He gave a slight bow. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Medusa."
I looked at him for a moment, ignoring my embarrassment and keeping my face as expressionless as possible.
"Did you train those 'heroes' who came here?" Before I could continue, Chiron had already responded.
"I would die, wither away, and vanish into dust before something like that happens." He didn't even hesitate, speaking with a completely serious tone. "None of my students would dare attempt a mission or adventure with that level of skill; I wouldn't even let them leave the training grounds."
He seemed offended that I would even consider such a possibility.
"Your title wouldn't be deserved if that were the case," the Hunter commented, his voice back to the emotionless tone he had. How could someone be like that?...
"My sisters... They are still sleeping; I'll wake them up for a meal." I stood up after a few minutes of conversation.
By conversation, I mean only Miss Doll and I exchanging a few words, with Chiron returning to fishing, and Hunter staying silent on the sidelines.
"Just try to keep them from breaking anything." Hunter waved.
I waved back, knowing my sisters well. If I didn't explain things right away, they'd likely have a fit and break or explode something.
"Here, take these to them." Miss Doll handed me some snacks.
"Thank you." I bowed in gratitude. I'll make my sisters thank her as well later.
Now, let's wake up these two sleepyheads...
~ Fate/The Hunter and His Doll ~
POV: ???
Waking up inside the rented boat felt strange...
"How did I end up here?" My head was fuzzy, and my forehead hurt. Had I taken a hit?...
As I raised my hand to my forehead to check for any bleeding, I remembered what had happened.
The monster, the two maidens, and the rock I defended with my shield... My shield?... Had I passed out because of my own shield?...
Damn it, and the maidens saw everything too... What a disgrace, embarrassing...
It took me a few seconds to get up, my muscles aching. How long had I been floating in the sea?... Actually, why was I in the sea?
The Medusa monster... No, Medusa was the name of the beautiful maiden with purple hair.
That monster in the form of a man, in black clothes, should have killed me...
A shiver ran down my spine when I realized how close to death I was.
...Why am I alive then?
It didn't take me long to figure out why. After all, a heartless monster wouldn't have spared me, but an innocent maiden would.
One of the two must have pleaded with the monster to spare me, even something like that... Thing, should not be immune to the plea of a maiden, especially such a beautiful one.
Damn it... And I left them there, knocked out by a stone that Medusa threw...
No one can know about this; I could never set foot anywhere again without being remembered as the man who was knocked out by a fragile lady.
She must have been controlled by the monster to have such strength to knock me out, that's it. In addition to using them as hostages, he also possessed and controlled their bodies...
Evil creature, I'll have to go back there to... Actually, I'll warn everyone about the monster. I may be someone with skill, but he is something I'm not ashamed to say I can't face.
Damn that... What was the name of that thing again? Medusa was the name of the maiden, so what was the name of the monster?...
I smiled with satisfaction. If I couldn't kill the monster, at least I could name it... But what if it doesn't like the name and finds out it was me...
"Damn it..." I muttered. Let's call it that then.
"Cursed be the Nameless Monster of Shapeless Isle!" I shouted to the skies.
Well, that should be enough... I just need to spread this now. Mom was right; I am much better as a bard than a hero.
Interestingly, something strange happened when I stepped on the beach sand, or rather, tried to step, as the boat flipped with a wave that appeared out of nowhere, making me fall onto the sand and hit my forehead again.
I didn't pass out this time, but the wet sensation on my head was too warm to be water, too red as well...
Damn it, let's go home soon, today is not my day... Especially since it seemed like the sea was laughing at me.
I'll make some offerings to Lord Poseidon later; after all, he's the one who brought me safely to the shore.
A wave chose this moment to hit the boat again, this time pulling it back into the sea...
"It's rented..." It will take me months to pay for this...
I'll make two offerings; I must have offended him somehow... Let's get back home soon...
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Well, about the chapter, a quick explanation:
A small character growth for our dear Medusa (Let's see where this leads...) And finally, the idiot who lived because of this character development.
Obviously, he wouldn't admit to "losing" (It wasn't even a fight) to Medusa (Who, without Athena's curse, returned to being beautiful and not hated by human eyes) and would end up making up some excuse.
The only man on the island, at least that he saw, was Hunter, so it must be his fault... Kekw.
Nameless Monster of Shapeless Isle - A good name, right?...
I won't drag on any longer here, as always, good night everyone and happy reading!
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